Such Hopes Discredited by Copenhagen
The watered-down outcome of the summit talks at Copenhagen fell dramatically short of expectations set by the EU. Since the 1997 Kyoto pact, Europe has claimed the moral lead on climate-change issues -- and the influence that goes with it. That image was dashed in Copenhagen: EU credibility and ambitions were sidelined in favor of the views of the U.S. and China. To regain a global voice, the EU needs drastic changes as it starts implementing the Lisbon treaty.
In a detailed review of the situation, an article in the Irish Times article -- “Copenhagen debacle brings home limits of EU's influence” – also talks about some apparently uncertain initial European steps to get a new grip on the climate agenda.